About this item
This fascinating and whimsical nonfiction picture book uses humorous comparisons and playful artwork to teach children the unusual ways that a variety of animals--from woodpeckers to snakes to bats--use their tongues to find food, eat, and clean themselves.In this nonfiction picture book, kids will learn about the woodpecker, which uses its tongue to burrow for insects under tree bark; the okapi, which can wash its face and ears with its tongue; and the octopus, which uses its tongue to drill holes in shells. Through debut illustrator Jia Liu's bright, playful collage artwork, readers can imagine what it would be like to have a tongue like a sword, like a straw, or like a party blower, among many other silly and illuminating comparisons. The back matter expands on each animal tongue's unique abilities and includes information about other fun tongues, too.
About the Author
I write both fiction and nonfiction picture books, many of which were inspired by my late, much missed, beloved rescue dog, Becca. I love nature and animals, especially dogs! Our new furry family rescue is named Maple. Most of my nonfiction picture books are about creatures in the natural world. I'm also fascinated by the subject of urban ecology, and the different ways in which wild animals have adapted to life and co-existence with humans.Most of my fiction picture books contain dogs as main characters, and some cats too! I am most intrigued by the human-animal bond, so this is a topic that I like to explore in my fiction.I am represented by the amazing Ammi-Joan Paquette of Erin Murphy Literary Agency, and these are my books:*Penny & Jelly: The School Show, illustrated by Thyra Heder (HMH/July 2015) *Penny & Jelly Slumber Under the Stars, illustrated by Thyra Heder (HMH/June 2016) *Coyote Moon, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Roaring Brook Press/July 2016) *Officer Katz & Houndini, illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou (Aladdin/October 2016) *Hello Goodbye Dog, illustrated by Patrice Barton (Roaring Brook Press/July 2017) *Terrific Tongues, illustrated by Jia Liu (Boyds Mills Press/April 2018) *Hawk Rising, illustrated by Brian Floca (Roaring Brook Press/May 2018) *Operation Rescue Dog, illustrated by Luisa Uribe (Little Bee/September 2018) *Whoo-Ku Haiku, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss (GP Putnam's Sons/March 2020*Play Like an Animal, illustrated by Mia Powell (Millbrook Press/April 2020) *Be a Tree!, illustrated by Felicita Sala (Abrams/March 2021) *Bobcat Prowling, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Roaring Brook Press/Winter 2022) *Being a Dog: A Tail of Mindfulness, illustrated by Pete Oswald (HarperCollins/Winter 2022) & a companion book, Being a Cat (Winter 2023) *To Dogs With Love (TBD) More book announcements coming soon!To learn more, please visit my website: mariagianferrari.comYou can also visit Penny & Jelly's website: pennyandjelly.comOr on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-Gianferrari/800629079959897? pnref=about.overview@pennyandjelly on Instagram
